January 12, 2009Study: Antipsychotics Again Found Deadly For Dementia, Alzheimer'sA new study is out in Lancet Neurology asserting that antipsychotics used to treat Alheimer's and dementia in the elderly may double the risk of death in patients. Use of these drugs in treating the elderly is off-label, but is nonetheless a huge proportion of antipsychotic sales, especially in the US, and has led to numerous lawsuits. In the study, researchers found that of 83 patients receiving antipsychotics, 39 were dead within one year, while of 82 receiving placebo, 27 were dead within one year. And: "After two years, 46 percent of Alzheimer's patients taking the anti-psychotics were alive, versus 71 percent of those not on the drugs. After three years, only 30 percent of patients on the drugs were alive, versus 59 percent of those not taking drugs." That's pretty startling and so was the assessment of one of the study authors: "'For the vast majority of Alzheimer's patients, taking these drugs is probably not a worthwhile risk,' said Clive Ballard, the paper's lead author, of the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases at King's College London. This kind of evidence lines up with other recent studies and assessments of antipsychotics use in the elderly, including studies finding that treating patients with placebo was more effective than with an antipsychotic and studies showing an increased risk of stroke on these drugs. Simply put, these drugs should be used very little in the elderly, if at all. Sadly, there's evidence that, at least in Canada, doctors are ignoring the various black box warnings on these drugs. Posted by Philip Dawdy at January 12, 2009 10:59 AM
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I hate to say it but so are some family members. Posted by: Sorrowful at January 12, 2009 12:35 PMFamilies spend often their life savings putting their elderly parents or other relatives with alzheimer's in facilities that will keep them safe and free from harm. Instead, these "facilities" drug them up because they are too understaffed to provide proper attention or care. It's thoroughly reprehensible. Posted by: Christine at January 12, 2009 03:29 PMI can never understand why there isn't an FDA black box warning for children and antipsychotics! Those kids will be LUCKY to live to retirement/nursing home age! Posted by: Stephany at January 12, 2009 05:04 PMStephany, I agree, but I would go further to suggest that all psychotropics should carry a such warning for all persons, not just children. However, it seems that such warnings don't seem to carry weight amongst psychiatrists and physicians. What can reasonable people do to affect this? I wish I knew. Paul Posted by: Paul at January 12, 2009 06:46 PMPaul, If Alzheimer's and most dementias are related to a malfunction of or deficiency of Niacin (B3), there is reason for hope.... Posted by: Lilly NC at January 12, 2009 07:57 PMPost a comment
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